Book 16: By My Own Hand

Lexa

No one touches me. I’m not locked in chains. The dark hallways running alongside the arena blur, smelling like rusted metal and full of smoke. The air is hotter than it should be, but when I squint through the darkness, I can just see the haze of smoke funneling from the direction of the Glade. My stomach pitches, but I have to keep my head on straight. I have to finish this, and that means an audience with the king.

He’s waiting for me when I step into the bright glare of the arena.

Spectators line the curved benches overhead, but they’re silent. My sandals crunch over the dirt, over old dark bloodstains. No weapons cache rises in the distance. No one else is waiting for me.

I am the champion.

There’s no one else to fight.

I am here for my gift.<